A small group of ten people gathered on the Greene County Courthouse south lawn for a People’s Inauguration event.

Organizer Dale Hanaman started by playing the video of the poet laureate Amanda Gorman recited at the Inauguration of President Joe Biden Wednesday. He then invited the participants to recite the People’s Inauguration that he found in the article “Where Revolution Happens” in the January 2021 edition of the Sojourners magazine. Here’s an excerpt from that saying.

“…and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend truth, dignity, justice and joy for myself and those around me…”

Hanaman explained why he thought it was important to have a public gathering to recite the People’s Inauguration.

“It’s not just the president and vice-president that need to make a statement of who they are going to be, but it’s up to all of us to make that kind of statement. It’s a way for us to say that this is our turf. We take responsibility for what happens in Greene County, as well as take responsibility to support government, to support new ways to make sure that the people who are at the edge of things are welcomed in. So we’re all part of this journey of trying to make this the best place possible.”

Hanaman hopes everyone refocus themselves to be a better beckon on the hill as a country, where others look to that as an example of what it means to care for even the least of these among us.